Album Review: Pinky Pinky - 'Turkey Dinner'

Whimsical basslines, witty lyricism and wholesome guitar is at the heart of Pinky Pinky’s debut album, ‘Turkey Dinner’. The LA based band had been playing music with other people for many years, but it wasn’t until they came together at high school, that Pinky Pinky was born out of the ashes of experimenting with blues, psychedelia and punk.

When they realised that they “didn’t need a genre [and] we can do whatever the hell we want” is when their eclectic sound was born. Not having to abide by any set rules meant that Pinky Pinky could let all of their influences take hold, and their youthful views on the world were able to flourish. When I caught up with the band at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, I asked them why they called the album ‘Turkey Dinner’. Vocalist/drummer Anastasia Sanchez explained that in general, “a turkey dinner is a little taste of everything” and it’s the best way to sum up the range of sounds on the album. From the garage-rock style of ‘Mystery Sedan’, where Anastacia’s voice takes on a jazz crooning tone, to unravelling the squeaky Punch and Judy show of ‘Floorboards’ and the rockabilly feel of ‘All The Birds’, there is something for everyone.

‘If It Didn’t Hurt’ showcases Eva Chambers’ distinct style of bass playing which is one of the most prevalent features of Pinky Pinky’s sound. Their quirky wordplay is in full effect here: “here’s my eyeball: careful, it’s slippery. If you drop it, wash it off in the sink. Dilate me, do anything.” This is one of the first songs that the band wrote when they first came together in 2015. There were no lyrics or melody and Anastasia remembers “pulling her teeth out trying to write those lyrics.” Another song that was a difficult to get through was ‘Loose Change’. Guitarist Isabelle Fields tells me that the song developed as they went through the album process – “we didn’t come in with it”. Eva adds that it was recorded in three different places. “The vocals were at producers houses, the instruments were [recorded] in the studio and the piano was in my living room, but it’s cool [that] it came together very nicely.”

‘Turkey Dinner’ feels like the soundtrack to what I imagine life is like in a travelling circus. Idiosyncratic and full of strange delights, which turns the whole piece into an unexpected masterpiece. This is an incredibly strong debut from a truly exciting band. What better way for them to celebrate release day, than to be playing a show at Bonnaroo, in Nashville!